Chinese Cooking Utensils | Books and Resources | Site Map | Chinese Cooking Utensils Among the many Chinese Cooking Utensils that make preparing a Chinese meal a breeze, these are some of our favorites we keep in our kitchen: Metal or Bamboo steamers Cooking with a Wok - the most versatil of Chinese Cooking Utensils Almost any Chinese dish can be prepared using your normal pots and pans, but if I were to pick one utensil from a whole selection of Chinese cooking equipment, the Wok would certainly be up on the list. Why? What makes cooking with a wok so special? The tall thiner walls provide the quick intense heat necessary for frying and the round bottom shape keep the ingredients at the center where the heat is higher. Also it is much easier to toss and turn the food without it falling all over the place, and it uses minimal amounts of oil for frying. That makes it the preferred Chinese cooking utensil for any recipe that calls for the stir-frying technique which is often used in Chinese cuisine. Cooking with a Wok with gas or electricity? The original wok is designed with a round bottom, and a Chinese kitchen has a bench with holes where the woks would fit.

Below the bench is the fireplace where wood is burned to provide the heat. In a Western kitchen, a wok is best used with gas because the flame will heat up the entire wok quickly and evenly. The rounded bottom is not great for the flat stove tops but you can get a wok ring that keeps it in place. Depending on the size of the wok, the ring can also be used upside down to get that flame to cover as much of the bottom of the wok. You can also get a wok with a flat bottom, this is probably best for electric stoves as well because it maximizes the contact surface. We have an electric stove and can achieve excellent results with a flat bottom wok, just turn on the burner on to high and place the wok directly on it. Buying a Wok: Steel or Iron? One long handle or two short ones? What size Wok is best? Nowadays there are many kinds of woks available in the market: stainless steel, cast iron, teflon, one long handle, two short ones, rounded bottom, flat bottom... so what should you get? When shopping around, you will find that wok prices range from the inexpensive to the super deluxe gourmet models.

We have tried several different types and have achieved great results without spending a bundle. A carbon steel wok is probably one of the best choices available, they heat up quickly and evenly, not only are they economical, they will also last a long time if used and maintained properly. Regardless of the type, keep in mind that most woks have to be seasoned or "prepared" before its first use. The woks come with a protective coating applied by the manufacturers which must be removed before use. You should follow the manufacturer's instructions to do this as the procedures vary depending on the type of wok you purchase. What about handles? Some woks come with two twin handles on the side, or one long handle with a side helper handle. We prefer the long handle since it makes it easier to move, toss, and tilt when stir-frying. How big should it be? That will depend on your personal needs, will you be cooking large or small quantities of food? Keep in mind that cooking a small portion of food in a large wok is not a problem unlike a regular skillet where the small quantities would get lost in the flat surface.

We find that a 12-14 inch (30-35 cm.) wok is most useful. It can be used to fit a steamer as well. With the right size, your wok can become an indispensable chinese cooking utensil that can be used to prepare every day healthy meals. Care and maintenance of your Wok Caring for your wok is quite simple. Washing it after each use with a sponge and detergent like you would a regular skillet is about it. You can pre-soak in warm water to soften any "stuck" food, and make sure you dry it thoroughly to avoid rust in some cases. It is best to read the manufacturer's instructions since there are so many different types out in the market. Chinese Cleavers, Chopping Knives and Boards These choppers may seem a bit big and awkward but once you become used to one, it's hard to go back to your regular kitchen knife. Choppers are excellent for cutting, dicing, slicing, and shredding, anything from vegetables to meats. You can also use the wide blade to carry the ingredients from the chopping board to the wok or cooking pot.

Cleavers have thicker blades than choppers, they are heavier and can handle tasks like chopping through bones. Sometimes these Chinese knives have wholes on the front which are used to hang and store. Use a solid wooden chopping board to avoid a slippery surface. Spatulas, Frying Spoons, Long Chopsticks Chinese spatulas are frequently used for cooking and scooping in a hot wok, you can toss all the ingredients quickly and efficiently with these shovel-like utensils. Frying spoons are great for lifting items from oil, for example a whole fish or chicken pieces. They are also used frequently for straining or skimming, lifting boiling dumplings or won tons. The long cooking chopsticks are great for stir frying, beating eggs, stirring noodles and mixing ingredients. These Chinese cooking utensils are not strictly essential since you probably have something in your kitchen that can be used for these purposes. Steamers Chinese use bamboo or aluminum steamers quite often for steaming dumplings and buns, fish, meats or vegetables. Steaming is a very healthy way to cook and the different kinds of steamers are a widely used Chinese cooking equipment.

In Western countries vegetables are mostly used for steaming, whereas in Chinese cooking, vegetables are usually stir fried or blanched. Chinese steam meats, fish and seafood quite frequently. Some very popular steamed dishes include steamed fish, steamed crabs and of course steamed dim sums. Traditional Chinese steamers are made of bamboo. The baskets can be stacked on top of each other, covered by a lid at the top. The bottom of the baskets woven like a grid, let the steam pass through to the whole stack of baskets which sits on a wok. The rounded bottom of the wok is filled with the boiling water. A whole meal can be prepared at one go, each dish stacked up on a separate basket and cooked all at once very efficiently. Bamboo steamers are preferable to aluminum steamers when steaming buns and dumplings because the bamboo lid lets the excess steam through instead of condensing and droping back on to the food, which could make the buns or dumplings soggy. Besides being one of the favorite Chinese cooking utensils, bamboo steamers can be used in your Western kitchen for your every day steaming needs.

Chinese Food 101-Utensils [ The Chinese Wire Strainer ] [ The Sizzling Platter ] [ The Clay Pot ] The Wok The work is the most important utensil in the Chinese kitchen. Traditionally made of heavy iron or steel and equipped with two handles, this versatile, concave-shaped pan is used for stir-frying, deep-frying, pan-frying, steaming, and stewing. Its ancient design has been adapted for modern use with a metal ring, which the pan sits in on the burner. Even more contemporary are the stainless-steel woks with flat copper bottoms that rest directly on the burner. These usually have a single long handle similar to that on a skillet and are lighter and easier to use than the classic two-handled pan. A. Turner The Spatula The Chinese spatula is specially designed for stir-frying in the wok. The edge of the spatula bowl is rounded to fit the shape of the pan, and the utensil itself is sturdier overall than the usual American one, to allow stirring and tossing of large quantities of food.

<<Back to top The Cleaver The Chinese cook does many things with a cleaver: minces a garlic, cuts vegetables into delicate, fanciful shapes, peels fresh water chestnuts. In the absence of the modern meat grinder, a pair a cleavers put to work simultaneously will achieve the same results. Cleavers are available in various grades of steel. The best all-purpose tool is made of high carbon steel, which takes a good edge and is heavy enough to cut through bones. Stainless-steel cleavers are fine for cutting vegetables but are too thin for heavy-duty chopping. Steamer You may prefer to buy a traditional bamboo steamer, which is attractive enough to double as a serving tray for the steamed foods. It is especially fun to own one if you regularly serve dim sum (either homemade or purchased). The bamboo steamer has the additional asset of allowing more than one layer of food to be steamed simultaneously - just stack a second basket on top of the first. These steamers are placed above hot water in a wok. D.

12" Steamer set The Chinese Wire Strainer This wide, flat wire strainer with a long bamboo handle is very useful for removing deep-fried foods from hot oil or noodles from boiling water. The most common size for home use is 6" diameter. The Sizzling Platter Sizzling-platter dishes, also called "iron-plate" dishes, have recently become popular menu items in Chinese restaurants. These dishes are named for the heavy iron platter that is used for serving. The platter is heated to a high temperature, placed on its wooden tray, and delivered to the table. When hot stir-fried food is spooned onto the platter, the sizzle is very dramatic. The Clay Pot Clay-pot dishes are the Oriental version of the American casserole. The main difference is that they are cooked on top of the stove rather than in the oven. The design of the clay-pot assures good retention of heat, so that even if dinner is delayed, the food stays piping hot. Chinese Cooking Tools - The Woks of Life The Woks of Life Chinese Cooking Tools Hi everyone, Sarah here. Welcome to our Chinese Cooking Tools page! We use these things in our kitchen every day.

That said, you don’t absolutely need any of these items to cook from our blog. But if you’re interested in broadening your base of kitchen equipment, here are some of the basic tools that we use and recommend. Not everything here is specifically a Chinese cooking tool, but may be useful to preparing Chinese recipes all the same! We do have some Amazon links on this page so you can check prices on our recommendations. These links also are affiliate links so you can also support The Woks of Life when you buy something! Wok and Wok Lid This is the most important of the Chinese cooking tools–the charismatic front man of the band, if you will. As many of you probably already know, many Chinese dishes are cooked using a wok, which is a wide and somewhat shallow domed pot that gets wickedly hot when you have a good flame going. Our woks reach temperatures that we’re pretty sure Smoky the Bear wouldn’t approve of. But it’s the high heat that gives food that indescribable, flavorful edge known as “wok hay.” You’ll also need a handy wok lid for steaming, boiling, and bringing up the temperature for things that need a bit of a longer cooking time.

When in doubt, whip out your wok! Ok, so don’t be tempted to get a non-stick model. At the temperatures required for Chinese cooking, these are of questionable safety. Don’t start a fire, but don’t be afraid to heat that thing up, either! The wok is the heart of any Chinese kitchen. Just make sure you find a good one. On the left is a picture of a wok similar to the one we have in our NJ kitchen, which you can see in a couple of our recipes, like this fried rice . On the right is a carbon steel set from Amazon , which has some pretty great reviews. Whatever wok you choose, know that you’re making a significant investment! We’ve owned several woks for years and years. Our NJ wok is over 40 years old! Wok Ring These days, some ranges come with a big wok burner, which has that bigger flame needed for authentic Chinese cooking. I think we’re the only one we know who has one of these (not everyone wants THAT big a burner on their stove, I’m sure. We’re just crazy. If you want to get an idea of what it looks like, check out this older post ).

Anyway, if you have a regular-sized gas or electric stove, you may want to consider investing in a wok ring. These aren’t strictly necessary, but helpful nevertheless. A wok ring sits on top of your existing burner and ensures that your wok won’t slide around while you’re cooking. Personally, we don’t use one and I don’t think it’s all that necessary if you have a cast iron or steel grate on your gas range, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. You make the call on this one. Metal Wok Spatula and Hoak Chinese cooking requires a good metal spatula. For most stir-fries you can use any run-of-the-mill implement you have lying around (made out of wood or metal), but for things like fried rice, glutinous rice cakes, or anything you’re making in large amounts that might stick to your wok, it’s handy to have a sturdy metal spatula that really scrapes up the tasty bits on the bottom of the pan and can handle large amounts of food with one flick of your wrist. There is a good traditional spatula and hoak set on Amazon that I think is quite authentic.

14″ Stainless Hand-tooled Wok Chuan & Hoak (Spatula & Ladle) Set It’s a bit expensive online so you may want to check your local Asian store where you can check the price and the look and feel in person. Prices and availability vary in local stores so Amazon may still be the right way to go if you are like us and love to have things just show up on your doorstep! We found only the metal spatula but no hoak at one of the local stores in NJ. Bamboo Strainer/Spider This strainer is great for frying or straining and is commonly seen in many Chinatown restaurants. These days, however, any strainer or even a slotted spoon for frying or draining liquid from wontons or dumplings will do just fine. Fine-Mesh Strainer These strainers are essential during deep frying to remove fine food bits and particles which may burn and spoil your oil. They also help decant the oil after frying for reuse. There are many other uses for a very fine mesh strainer, including straining your egg custard mixture when making Hong Kong Egg Tarts —the absolute KEY to a glassy, smooth tart.

You’ll be glad you invested in this handy tool when you use it the first time. Rice Cooker Without a doubt, this will save you the most headaches in the kitchen. Rice cookers these days come in a variety of styles and price points. Some have tons of different settings (for cooking different kinds of rice, porridges, and the like), while others just have an on and off button. Whatever your preference is, one of these babies will make sure you have perfect rice waiting for you every time. Our collective experiences says, save your money and pass on the multi-purpose units and go with a single purpose rice cooker. Rice cookers really vary and can get very expensive, but this Aroma cooker is a number one best seller on Amazon and is a great value, especially if you’re a first time purchaser! I seriously cooked entire meals on a regular basis in one of these in the corner of my college dorm room. Hot Pot Get ready for the fall and winter season and order your hot pot today! For more information on this popular Chinese meal, see our Hot Pot How-to page .

Stainless Steel Skimmer for Hot Pot Meals Everyone will need some skimmers to fish out their food from the hotpot before it disappears into the deep! Be sure you get a set of these for your next Hot Pot meal . Metal Steam Rack A lot of people just think of stir fries when they think of Chinese food, but many dishes involve steaming as well (e.g. steamed fish, buns, shumai, etc., etc.). A metal steaming rack can go in the bottom of a deep pot or in your wok to hold up a heatproof dish full of delicious steamables. 5 5/8″ Kitchen Cookware Stainless Steel Wire Steaming Rack Stand Metal Steam Rack – shallow height If you are using your wok to steam a larger plate of fish, then this more shallow rack will likely work better and is worth the money. Before I got this rack, I had to use a couple of bamboo chopsticks at the bottom of the wok to hold the plate. When my dad was young, my grandfather used to use an empty tuna can with the top taken off one side and hole punched on the other. If you’re on a budget or you can’t find one of these, either of those methods works also!

Bamboo Steamer The bamboo steamer allows you to make multiple dishes at once by stacking layer upon layer of bamboo racks, requiring only one burner and one wok. Each dish (set in its own rack) can be cooked in its own time, and several layers can be added. One set consists of two racks and one lid, but you can get as many as you need. We use the steamer most often to steam dumplings and buns. Just place your steamer in the wok, fill the wok with water until it comes up to about half an inch on your steamer. Then line each level of the steamer with a layer of thin napa cabbage leaves or cheese cloth, place the dumplings two inches apart on each tier, and steam to perfection! Once your food is cooked, you also have an instant, impressive serving platter. They come in various sizes. You’re going to want a large one, around 10 inches across. There are a selection of them on Amazon and you can see that they vary in price so happy shopping! Metal Steamer Judy (aka my mother) has sworn off the use of the microwaves.

I’ve given up trying to innocently melt a stick of butter in there or reheat yesterday’s leftovers. I’ve been caught too many times at this point. So…what’s the best way to reheat things then? For things that need to be crispy, we just heat up the wok, cast iron pan or sauté pan. For most everything else, we use this multi-level steamer to reheat leftovers, including rice, veggies, pasta, lasagna or whatever. It’s actually extremely fast and effective. We also use it steam vegetables, melt butter, and reconstitute old, dried out brown sugar. It’s a really great tool to have in the house, and it probably is a lot healthier than the microwave oven. Because it’s metal, it’s much easier to clean and maintain than the bamboo steamer, making it perfect for everyday use. Stainless Steel Folding Hot Dish Tongs Did you ever wonder how you were going to lift a hot plate from your steamer in tight quarters or burning yourself while doing it? This tool makes things a whole lot easier for smaller sized plates and dishes and we use tools like this one often in our kitchen.

Rimobul Asian Kitchen Stainless Steel Folding Hot Dish Plate Bowl Clip Plate Retriever Tongs Another plate lifter that really works is this interesting looking gadget pictured below. We think it is better than the plier-like tongs that require a strong hand and grip strength to use. Check this one out if you do user a steamer often! A Strong Blender We think this Blendtec blender is a lifetime blender because unless you take it to China and plug it into a 220 volt outlet by mistake (yup, it did happen and it was scarry!), this could be the last blender you’ll buy. Take it from a family who have gone through multiple blenders that were either not up to the job or just burned out. Blendtec Total Blender, FourSide Jar, Black We actually purchased the classic model which works great for frozen fruit and ice smoothies but it also makes short work of making powdered or castor sugar from granulated sugar in a pinch or making whole grain flour from whole grains for our favorite Homemade multi-grain bread and Homemade multi-grain English muffins recipes. The Blendtec classic has an 8 year warranty which is why we purchased it although the newer models do look enticing.

Blendtec is definitely a high end blender that got infamous for blending an entire Apple ipad as an advertising stunt. It’s not cheap but worth saving for and is a pleasure to use. Definitely do your research and while we often question ourselves if we should have bought a Vitamix blender , that feeling goes away after we use our Blendtec. Clay and Earthen Pots These are key for hearty winter stews, soups, and bubbling dishes of eggplant or tofu. They go right from the stove to the table too! So far, it’s best use on our blog in this Hong Kong Clay Pot Rice and the Chicken and mushroom clay pot recipes. Medium Chinese Clay Pot (2 qt) Decorative Earthen Pots are also available and double and a more attractive serving vessel. Shown below are one of many varieties and designs available so keep on the look-out for a nice one at your local Asian store, or if you’re traveling abroad in China or Asia! Remember that for any clay or earthen, be sure to soak it fully submerged in water for at least 24 hours before using it.

We’re not sure of the science but all of the shop owners we encountered say this step is required before use and it is easy enough to do it.! Dutch Oven and Roasting Pot Every serious cook needs one of these cast iron roasting pots. I use the term loosely because truthfully, we really don’t “need” most things per se but this pot is definitely the best for stews and cooking Whole Braised Ducks and Soy sauce Chickens . You can even use them to make rustic breads in the oven which a good friend of mine does all of the time. Shown here is an oval pot which we think is more versatile – like braising a whole duck or poaching a whole fish. Do some shopping and investigation on this one because a good enameled pot like this one from Le Creuset is not cheap but one of those items you “need”! Meat Tenderizer and Pork Belly Piercing Tool If you plan to make Cantonese Roast Pork Belly or are the ultimate kitchen gadget person, then invest in one of these cool tools, the Orblue manual meat tenderizer ! Cleaver The ultimate tool for slicing, dicing, chopping, scraping, and scooping—Chinese-style cleavers have it all.

Rather than having a large set of knives of different sizes and shapes, Chinese chefs often just use this ONE tool for everything. It’s all about how you manipulate it to get different results. One fell swoop and it powers through pork bones. After a quick wash, it can slice onions or a block of tofu ever-so-delicately too. Knife selection can be a very personal choice, and it is always best to buy these things in a store. But if you can’t find one, this model is both economical and useful for more heavy duty chopping, and the low price makes it almost a no-brainer. That said, you absolutely don’t need this knife to cook the dishes on this blog. Most of the cutting that you will do for Chinese cooking can be done with a conventional knife. If you are interested in acquiring one of these, definitely shop around. In a pinch, my dad has used this cleaver to cut kindling…so that should give you an idea of the durability. Knife sharpener There’s nothing more dangerous in the kitchen than a dull knife!

My dad likes to get the sharpening stones out every once in a while but we’ve had this simple knife sharpener for a long time and it does the job quickly and easily for most knives. I’ve seen my dad use it too! Sharpening Steel For those of you who have used a sharpening steel before, we highly recommend this Wusthof model. It has a wider shape instead of the more common round version. This tool is definitely a luxury, but it is worth the money if you are a fanatic like my dad. In my opinion, it’s much easier to use than the round version and is a godsend when you just need a little more edge while you’re working on the cutting board. Kitchen Shears Get a good pair of kitchen shears and you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Trim fish fins, shellfish, cut raw or cooked poultry, or even flowers, quickly and safely. You can maneuver a pair of sharp shears much more effectively and safely than a chef’s knife. Depending on how much cooking you do, our recommendation is to buy a professional one and it will be a pleasure each time you use it and will last you for years!

We have used this model below for years, like the simplicity of the design and have really never had the need to sharpen it. It is an essential tool for the avid cook and gardener. We harvest many vegetables and crops with this durable shear every season! Colander We use multiple colanders in our kitchen and on a busy day we use them all! We have a variety of them that are fine mesh, copper plated, decorative plastic and stainless steel but our colander of choice is stainless steel because it is durable and easy to clean. Cutting Board In the old days and even today, Chinese cooks would use a pine tree cutting board because it was soft and easy on the cleaver and perfect for meats. You may be able to see this today in some Chinese restaurants where they sell roasted meats and cut them to order. A more practical, readily available choice is a large rectangular bamboo cutting board, which is quite versatile, and very easy to clean. The one below that we use is great and has a groove around the board to catch excess liquid before it can drip off the board and onto the counter – very handy! Garlic press We have an Ikea garlic press that we bought at the IKEA in Beijing. It’s available on Amazon as well.

The price is decent and it works great. It’s the best for avoiding garlicky fingers and I have to say, chopping large amounts of garlic is probably my least favorite kitchen task ever. There is a LOT of garlic involved in Chinese cooking. Microplane Okay, okay–technically, most definitely not “Chinese,” but it’s great for grating ginger and garlic, excellent for zesting, and perfect for parmesan cheese. Great for grating ginger and spices, and excellent for zesting, I swear by this thing. It’ll make all your other graters and zesters blush with embarrassment at their inadequacy. Box Grater Sometimes you just need a simpler box grater for quick and easy shredding or to grate some ginger. They are inexpensive and essential in the kitchen for quick and easy tasks. Food Processor We have learned over the years that electrics are really worth using for Chinese cooking and we love the Cuisinart processor and have been using one for years. Honestly, the only reason for not taking this out for use is the consequence of cleaning it up so sometimes we just use the traditional box grater or even the microplane!

Mandoline Slicer Mandoline slicers are great for slicing large quantities of vegetables or even if you just want thin or julienne slices. They are easy to use and worth the effort although you must be careful when using these sharp tools! Judy uses one often, especially when cooking Sichuan Stir-Fried Potatoes . Cut-Resistant Gloves If you are a novice cook or just trying to perfect your knife skills, these gloves may be just what you need in the kitchen to build your confidence. Even professional chefs use them in high stress environments when risks of cutting yourself are high! NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves – High Performance Level 5 Protection, Food Grade. Size Medium. Free Ebook Included! Thermometer for Deep Frying This thermometer is an essential tool to ensure that you are deep frying at the right temperatures.

I bet you have heard many people say, and this includes my grandmother, “just look at a bamboo chopstick in the oil and when it bubbles, it is the right temperature”, or maybe you’ve heard – “toss a potato in the oil and when it browns, the temperature is right.” These are people speaking from lots of experience in the kitchen and you can definitely go by feel and still get good results but why guess and risk ruining your dish? This is one of the best purchases we have made for frying and it’s very safe with the long design that keeps a good distance from the hot oil. You will be glad you have one after you have used it a few times! Meat Thermometer This meat thermometer is all you really need for testing internal meat temperatures. It is used by professionals and easy to carry in you pocket, very economical and we have used this one in our kitchen for years. Follow the link below to check it out on Amazon and you’ll also see a slew of fancier electronic ones if you’re a techno gadget person! It’s an essential tool for serious cooks, just like the deep dry thermometer shown above so go out and get one now.

Professional Grade Sheet Pan We love using sheet pans at home because they are so versatile and useful and the professionals can’t be wrong. Every commercial kitchen uses sheet pans but at home a half sheet pan is the perfect size with many uses. First, this aluminum pan is perfect for making any cookies or any of our Chinese Bakery or milk bread recipes and we have been using it for years. Second, add a roasting rack and it is perfect for roasting Chinese spare ribs , chicken wings, Roast pork or even small roasts that require the meat to be elevated and roasted above a little water rather than sit in the pan. The edges are an inch high so nothing runs off the pan. Buy yourself some heavy duty foil to line the pan, roast away, discard the foil and you’re done! Our third favorite use is to use it for dredging or cooling fried items where oil is easily drained. Just place a folded kitchen towel on one side and any excess oil flows to one side and your food is free of excess oil! We have three of these pans and on a good cooking day, they are all out and being used! Stainless Steel Cooling Rack This stainless steel cooling rack is an essential tool that goes hand-in-hand with your sheet pans.

Use as a cooling rack for all of your baked goods or together with your half sheet pan and you have the perfect roasting setup to make your roasted meats. The 10 x 15 size fits nicely into a half sheet pan with just enough space around the edges to make your roasting setup easy to handle. The stainless steel finish is long lasting and easy to clean and you’ll wonder what took you so long to acquire this rack and a half sheet pan for your kitchen! Hong Kong Egg Tart Tins These aluminum tart tins are just awesome for making Hong Kong egg tarts. We used to save up our tins, wash them and reuse them for baking which is a good frugal practice but purchasing a batch of these for making Hong Kong Egg Tarts or any other mini tart recipe is truly worth the money! KitchenAid Stand Mixer This Kitchen Aid Stand mixer is an essential tool that you must save up for if you are a serous cook, baker, foodie, and if you want to make our milk bread and the best chocolate cake recipe you have ever had! We own an older model for over 20 years now and it is still going so not much else to say other than we highly recommend it.

There are lots of models out there and you may be tempted to go with a cheaper model but we are really happy that we went with the professional series stand mixer that has the arm to lower and raise the bowl. It is totally worth the cabinet space needed to store it or you can buy one of the twenty-four colors that it comes in and leave it out on your counter for all to marvel at! Digital Scale Now this inn’t Chinese either but it is great for measuring ingredients and especially if you are looking at recipes of international origin. We use this scale almost every time we cook whether it is for measuring meats or for baking. The scale has a great feature to zero out the plate or container. Just set the container on top of the scale, hit the button and you’re at zero and you can now add ingredients into the container or onto the plate. It doesn’t sound like much but it is key and this scale is a bargain. Get one and you’ll wonder how you were cooking without it! Mortar & Pestle A mortar and pestle is an incredibly useful tool in the kitchen.

It’s a necessity for quickly crushing spices like cumin and peppercorns (check out this recipe for chili cumin Beijing lamb skewers !) and pulverizing garlic, onions, and herbs. Believe me, once you have this tool in your kitchen, you will find countless uses and wonder how you lived without it for so long. Vegetable Brush We have been using different types of vegetable brushes for years now for potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and the list goes on. It’s inexpensive and cleans your veggies and fruits removing any residual pesticides better than just rinsing over water. You want one of these inexpensive items and it’s a great item to add to your order to put you into the free shipping realm. Purchase one for your loved ones and they will appreciate it. Bamboo Chopsticks Need we explain? The ultimate utensil—they can pick up anything from a single grain of rice to an entire chicken (it’s tricky, but it can be done). Expand your utensil horizons or at least you can have a set for eating any Asian meals! We like the bamboo and wood versions over the slippery metal and plastic composite versions.

They are a bit more of hassle to clean than the smooth metal and plastic, but they just feel so much more comfortable in the hand and even the most skilled practitioner could get frustrated with them. I know that a lot of Koreans would argue with me on this one but hey. I’m Chinese. Give me my bamboo, and I’m happy. As my dad’s old friend Ben Williams used to say, “Damn, Bill! You use those sticks for everything!” Bamboo Skewers These handy bamboo skewers are great for grilling. Skewer your shrimp for your Shrimp Tacos and use them for a Beijing favorite – Spicy lamb skewers – Yangrou Chuan on the grill. Just remember to soak them overnight for best results before using them or they will burn on the grill. Bamboo Cooking Utensils Great for everyday stirring and mixing needs. They don’t absorb flavors, colors, and liquids as easily as your average wooden spoon (I still have a wooden spoon that’s all splotchy pink from a beet salad), and don’t conduct all the heat from your wok like your metal spatula.

We use these bamboo utensils interchangeably with the wok spatula and at times even prefer them over the metal ones for stir-fry. Set of 6 Bamboo Kitchen Tools, in Mesh Bag Rolling Pin You probably have one of these already in your kitchen but if not, you should pick one up so you can make a whole lot of scallion pancakes and buns. We like using the tapered French-style rolling pins rather than the traditional rolling pins with the handles. They just allow a lot more flexibility. Here in China, the rolling pins don’t have handles either. Rolling Pin Bamboo or Plastic Rice Paddle If you buy a rice cooker, it will come with a rice paddle–usually made of plastic. These allow you to spoon out your rice without scratching the surface of the rice cooker bowl. They also are less likely than a typical spoon to get big hunks of rice stuck to them. If you lose yours or don’t like using plastic, you can pick up a bamboo rice paddle at most kitchen stores. Wide Mouth Canning Jars Canning jars are great for storing chicken stock, tomato sauce or anything else you can think of. Heck, you can even make loads of Hot chili Oil!

If you ever tried the stuff, you may need these large jars but probably you want a smaller size. We use these jars all of the time for canning tomatoes after a summer harvest and storing beef stock for Pho or Lanzhou Spicy Beef Noodles, sauce we use for our Soy Sauce Chicken or just plain old homemade chicken stock. Cast Iron Cookware: Ok, so these aren’t Chinese tools, but after the wok, cast iron pans are probably the most-used cookware in our kitchen today. We started using cast iron when we got fed up with buying and throwing away scratched non-stick pans. We cook so often that we need something that’s going to really last. Plus, once your cast iron pan is nice and seasoned, it’s practically non-stick anyway! Perfect for pan-frying buns, dumplings, and scallion pancakes. Durability and versatility. We’ve purchased non-stick pans that were supposedly high quality ($$$) products, but because we could never heat them over a certain temperature, they weren’t always usable for what we wanted to cook.

And even the quality ones–no matter how much vigilance we employed in not letting metal spatulas ever graze their surface–would end up chipped and dinged, with the nonstick material flaking off. Maybe we weren’t the best at caring for those pans, but let’s put it this way, your frying pan shouldn’t really require kid gloves, should it? Cooking is messy business, and cast iron can take anything we throw at it. AND it’s a plus that these pans will pretty much last forever. I for one, look forward to passing these babies down to some great grandchildren or something. Here are some basic tips for caring for your cast iron cookware, which is similar to caring for a carbon steel wok: Do not place your cast iron cookware in the dishwasher. These pans come pre-seasoned these days, but it’s still good to clean it before using it. After cleaning, dry it thoroughly, wipe a thin layer of oil all over it, and heat it on the stovetop. After that, it’s ready to use! Just scrub it with hot/warm water and a brush or the abrasive side of your sponge after each use (no soap needed).

To dry it, we usually give it a quick wipe with a kitchen towel and heat it on the stove to rid it of any excess moisture and to prevent rust from forming. Then, to keep it seasoned, you can just use a napkin or paper towel to wipe another thin layer of oil all over the surface of the pan. If you see a bit of residue on the pan as you’re wiping it down with the oil, don’t worry. This is normal, and will largely disappear next time you heat it. If rust does form, don’t worry. Just scrub the rust off with warm water. Then rinse it, oil it, and reheat it again. Don’t “shock” a hot cast iron pan with cold water, as this can cause warping or cracking. Cast iron is actually very brittle Don’t soak your pan in water for extended periods. This will lead to rust. If you have caked on food that you want to get rid of, pour in some warm water and bring it to a boil on the stove. That stuff will start to loosen and come up within 5-10 minutes. Okay, so there are a lot of different brands, models, and sizes out there.

For us, we have three main ones that we like using: This Lodge 12-inch cast iron pan is the workhorse–we fry eggs in it for breakfast, make potstickers and pan-fried buns , and fry scallion pancakes . It’s the best. It even comes with a handy silicone handle cover. Yes! This reversible griddle/grill pan is the best thing ever. Just lay it across two burners, and you’re in business. We love this pot/pan combo cooker . The lid doubles as a pan. What what!?!?! Porcelain Soup Spoon These are key for sipping your soups and porridges without burning your tongue. They’re also the perfect size to cradle a wonton or a soup dumpling. Plus, they’re prettttyyy. Chinese Blue And White Porcelain Style Asian Soup Spoons (Set of 4) Porcelain Rice Bowls Serve up a heaping mound of rice in one of these bowls and just keep adding bits of food as you go along. It’s different from the American style of piling up your plate first and then digging in. They’re also a handy size for preparing ingredients before throwing them into your wok.

It’s the ramekin of the Chinese food world. Wok Utensils | eBay Wok Utensils This Stainless Steel Wok Spatula Ladle Set will bring Chinese Cooking professionalism In your Kitchen! This shovel-like tool makes cooking and scooping in a hot wok quick, easy, and efficient. The woo... Condition: | 32 sold This tool makes cooking and scooping in a hot wok a simple task. The stainless steel deep shovel base makes stir frying and mixing a breeze. The wooden handle at the tip of the utensil provides an eas... | 6 sold Stainless Steel Wok Turner Features Primary Material: Stainless Steel. Sleekstainless steel construction. Dimensions: -Overall Length - Top to Bottom:13 -Overall Width - Side to Side:3.75 -Overall Dep... | 1 sold VERTI Stainless Steel Kitchen Utensil Tool - Asian Turner Spatula / Wok Shovel With Ergonomic Handle. Length: 15"; shovel head: 3.75" x 3.75" (approximate dimensions). Asian style turner makes cooking...

Buy It Now Free Shipping Tablecraft 14.5" Bamboo Handle Wok Spatula is ideal for the at home Pan-Asian chef. Easy long handle feature will help remove food without much splatter. This excludes these locations: Alaska, Hawaii ... | 9 sold This Wok was sold on TV in 1989 by China Connection in Atlanta Georgia. The only thing missing is the cookbook and original box. Bamboo Brush for cleaning the wok. Wok and steel utensils are coated in... $3.99 Buy It Now IKEA Speciell Wok Turner Black. If you live in Non-contiguous states (Hawaii, Alaska) or off-shore U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Island, Virgin Island). Reinforced polyamide. Taylor & Ng San Francisco set mint new in box 1979 $9.95 $55.00 Buy It Now Wok comes with fire ring which is made of steel, this ring supports the wok over a naked flame, charcoal, etc., It is not always necessary to use the fire ring on most gas or electric ranges. It is al...

Buy It Now or Best Offer This is a complete Wok kit from Brylane Kitchen. ~ A wooden handle that attaches to the wok. ~ A 12" diameter and 3.5" tall Wok. ~ 4 white bowls with orange and yellow oriental design and measuring 4.... Buy It Now Free Shipping This Town Food Service Peking Wok is made from hand hammered steel and features a reinforced handle for extra durability. It has an extra deep shape to allow for easier folding while cooking. Buy It Now Free Shipping Tablecraft 14.5" Bamboo Handle Wok Spatula is ideal for the at home Pan-Asian chef. Easy long handle feature will help remove food without much splatter. Color Bamboo. Long Handle. Wood handle. We wil... Buy It Now Free Shipping Ergonomic handle gives you a comfortable grip and stays cool. Soft, comfortable non-slip handle.you needn't worry it drop in your pot. Simply wipe under water. Exceptionally high quality 18/8 stainles...

Buy It Now Free Shipping S01 - Spatula for crepes / Pancake Turner - Size ≈ 36 cm / 14.17" - Weight ≈ 62 gr / 2.19 oz. S02 - Curved spatula with 6 holes - Size ≈ 30 cm / 11.81" - Weight ≈ around 43 gr / 1.52 oz. S03 - Curved ... $29.88 Buy It Now Using a good Wok makes it easy to enjoy healthy cooking and will inspire you to experiment with new recipes. This Carbon Steel wok works with all stovetops. Palm Restaurant 10" Wok & 5 pc Bamboo Utens... Buy It Now Free Shipping This Town Food Service Cantonese Wok features hand hammered cold forged steel construction and have riveted handles. It comes in a 16 size and makes a durable and versatile addition to any kitchen. Buy It Now Free Shipping This WMF Profi Plus Wok Turner features a unique 3/4 moon shaped head, perfect turning and lifting meat and veggies in the wok. Seamless construction ensures cleaning ease.

This wok turner measures 13... Buy It Now Free Shipping WBR-20 Features: -Palmyra Bristol wood handle. Utensil Head Material: -Wood. Product Type: -Brush. Dimensions: -Bristles dimensions: 2". Overall Length - Top to Bottom: -19.5". Overall Width - Side to... Buy It Now Free Shipping Wok Ladle, 6 oz. capacity, 17"L, machine made, s/s, wood handle, small size. Wok Ladle by the premiere manufacturer and supplier to the Chinese Foodservice industry. | 27 sold We reserve the right to cancel any order for any reason at any time. We will work with you to resolve any problem you may have. Buy It Now Free Shipping The cast iron properties of thisLodge Cast Iron Wok provide superior heat retention and allows for even heating throughout. The unique flat bottom allows you to use an electric or gas range without a ... | 7 sold Wok ladle. Solid bowl is 4 in x 4 1/2 in. Tundra was started in Boulder, Colorado in 1993 – over 20 years ago.

You are responsible for offloading your product with a forklift or some muscle. A liftgat... | 18 sold 1pcs shovel. Washing:Clear water. Due to the difference between different monitors, the picture may not reflect the actual color of the item. Rate (item arrived). We strive for 5-star service by stati... Buy It Now Free Shipping This Town Food Service Mandarin Wok has a 14 diameter and features steel construction. It also has a riveted steel handle with a wood extension. This wok must be seasoned to prevent rusting. $38.00 Buy It Now Real nice set of VOOS Stainless utensils. Nice wood handles not broken,cracked or chipped up,no burns. Al utensils in Grade 'A' condition. Un-sharpened knife. Spatula measures about 16 1/2". Quality c... Equipment: How to Buy a Wok | Serious Eats Equipment: How to Buy a Wok 62 Each week J. Kenji Lopez-Alt will drop by with a list of tools or a tool you might want to stock your kitchen with—if you haven't already. Kenji also writes The Food Lab column here on SE.

You can fan The Food Lab on Facebook for play-by-plays on his future kitchen tests and recipe experiments.—The Mgmt. A good wok is one of the most versatile pans in the kitchen. Beyond being the best choice for a stir fry, it's also the ideal vessel for deep-frying, steaming, and indoor smoking. It is the most commonly used pan in my kitchen. But as with most things, not all woks are created equal. They come in a dizzying array of sizes, shapes, metals, and handle arrangements. Fortunately for all of us, the best woks also happen to be on the inexpensive end of the scale. Here are some things to consider when purchasing one. Materials Stainless steel woks, like the All-Clad 14-inch Stir Fry Pan ($200) are a waste of money. Not only are they extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver, they also take a long time to heat up and cool down—a fatal flaw for something that requires rapid, on-the-fly heat adjustments like a stir-fry. Food—particularly protein—has a tendency to stick to steel. Cast iron is a better choice, though it still takes a relatively long time to heat up and cool down.

It offers a better nonstick surface. The main problem with cast iron is that when it's too thin, it is extremely fragile—I've seen cast iron woks crack in half when set down too hard. But when made thick enough to be durable, they are extremely cumbersome to lift—essential for proper flipping during a stir-fry. Carbon steel is your best bet. It heats quickly and evenly, is highly responsive to burner input, is durable, inexpensive, and when properly cared for, will end up with a practically nonstick surface. Look for carbon steel woks that are at least 14-gauge (about 2 mm thick). They should not bend when you press on the sides. Manufacture Woks are made in three ways. Traditional hand hammered woks (like the ones they used to sell in those infomercials in the '80's) are an excellent choice. The slight indentations left by the hammering pattern allow you to push cooked food to the sides of the pan while adding ingredients to the center without them slipping. The only problem is that it can be difficult (impossible?) to find a hand-hammered wok with a flat bottom and a handle (more on those later).

Stamped woks are made by cutting out a circular piece of thin carbon steel and pressing it by machine into a mold. They are extremely cheap, but are completely smooth, making them difficult to stir-fry in properly. They are without fail made from low-gauge steel and prone to developing hot and cold spots, as well as feeling flimsy. Spun woks are produced on a lathe, giving them a distinct pattern of concentric circles (see the picture inset above). This pattern offers the same advantages as a hand-hammered wok, allowing you to easily keep your food in place against the side of the pan. Spun woks can be found in heavy gauges, with flat bottoms, and with flip-friendly handles. Spun woks and hand hammered woks fortunately are both inexpensive. Shape and Handles Traditional woks have a deep bowl shape designed to fit into a circular opening directly over the hearth. Unless you have a custom wok insert in your range (and if you do, you probably aren't reading this article anyway), you want to avoid round-bottomed woks. They won't work, period, on an electric range, and are tough to use on a gas range—even with one of those wok rings.

On the other hand, woks with bottoms that are too flat defeat the purpose of a wok, making it tough to flip properly and to move food in and out of the high-heat zone. Your best bet is a wok with a 4- to 5-inch flattened area at the bottom with gently sloping sides that flare out to between 12 and 14 inches. This will give you plenty of high-heat space for searing meats and vegetables at the bottom while still providing ample volume and room to maneuver when flipping. As for handles, you have two choices. Cantonese-style woks (pictured in inset above) have two small handles on either side, while Northern-style woks have a single long handle and usually a smaller helper-handle on the opposite side. This is the type of wok you want. The large handle facilitates flipping and stir-frying, while the short handle makes it easy to lift. Finally, avoid nonstick woks like the one pictured at right at all costs. Most nonstick coatings cannot handle the high heat necessary for a proper stir-fry. They start vaporizing, releasing noxious fumes long before they reach the requisite temperature.

They make browning difficult, and it's impossible to get food to stick in place against the wok when you want to clear a surface to cook in in the middle. Care and Maintenance Just like a good cast iron pan, a carbon steel wok's performance will improve the more you use it. Most come with a protective film of oil on them to prevent them from rusting or tarnishing in the store. It's important to remove this layer before using it the first time. Scrub the wok out with hot, soapy water, dry it carefully, then place it over a burner at the highest heat possible until it starts to smoke. Carefully rotate the pan so that every area of it is exposed to this super-high heat. Rub it down with oil using a paper towel held in a pair of tongs, and you're ready to go. After use, avoid scrubbing the wok unless absolutely necessary. Usually a rinse and a rub-down with a soft sponge is all that's necessary. Purists may tell you not to use soap. I do, and my wok is still well-seasoned and completely nonstick.

Once rinsed, dry the wok with a kitchen towel or paper towels and rub some vegetable oil into the surface to give it a vapor-proof coating that will prevent it from rusting. With repetitive use, the oil you heat in your wok breaks down into polymers that fill the microscopic pores in the metal's surface, rendering the material completely nonstick. As you break in your wok, the material will gradually change from silver to brownish, and finally to a deep black. This is what you are looking for. Our Recommendataion There are a number of woks that match these criteria, but the The Joyce Chen Flat-Bottomed Wok (14 inches) ($29.95) is our favorite. It features heavy gauge carbon steel, a riveted heat-resistant phenolic-plastic Northern-style handle with a helper handle, and is extremely inexpensive. That's a relief, considering the amount of cash you have to drop for decent Western-style cookware.

Question: What is the traditional material used to make the Chinese cooking utensil the wok?
Answer: Iron